Shakira

Shakira is perhaps the most recognizable and certainly, the most intriguing voice in Latin pop/rock today. The 23-year-old singer/songwriter, who catapulted to international fame with the multi-million selling Pies Descalzos, effectively broke the formulaic mold of Latin pop with an authentic sound that hadn't been heard before. Her tunes, like her hit single Estoy Aquí, are melodic, musically surprising and gritty, with intellectual lyrics and an electronic/acoustic blend. Now, her gutsy, rock-infused album, Donde Están los Ladrones, with Emilio Estefan's Executive Production, and Shakira's Artistic Production assures her position as a pioneer who has redefined the scope of Latin American singers. Born Shakira Mebarak Ripoll in the coastal city of Barranquilla, Colombia, Shakira-who goes by her first name only-- is that blend of raw talent, brains and charisma that only rarely comes along in any field. Her name, which in Arabic means woman full of grace, belies her ancestry. She is the daughter of a Colombian mother and a Lebanese father-a jeweler and writer whose Arabic background greatly influenced his daughter.